The Walking Dead: Melissa McBride Says Season 7 Premiere Worth The Wait

Even since The Walking Dead closed in April, fans have asked one question: Who the heck did Negan kill? The question is a fair one as the Season 6 finale did end with Negan bludgeoning an unknown member of Rick’s group with his barb-wire bat, Lucille. With the show slated to return in October, the cast has warned fans nothing can prepare them for what’s all in store. And, now, Melissa McBride (Carol Pelettier) is reassuring fans their wait will be worth it.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the actress spoke about the reactions fans had over the finale. The ending left long-time viewers split as some found it compelling while others bashed its paltry shock-value. “Oh, I’ve heard it. I’ve heard it all,” McBride said “But, you know, it’s entertaining. It’s compelling and some people like cliffhangers, some people hate them, and that’s just part of the experience.”

As for the premiere of Season 7, the actress said, “Oh God, it’s going to rock the walls. The wait is worth it. Whether you’re angry with it or whether you liked the cliffhanger or whether you’re pissed off about it, the wait is worth it.”

While McBride wasn’t able to say anything more about the series’ return, she did hint her character isn’t the one who meets Lucille. The actress described how her mother had fretted over her daughter being kill on the show. When her mom asked if Carol is the one who dies, the actress reminded her she wasn’t even in the finale’s controversial scene. That, however, hasn’t stopped fans from asking McBride to spill the show’s biggest secret.

She said, “They ask and it’s a lot of me saying, “If I could tell you, would you really want me to tell you?” And then they’re like, “No. I want to know, but I want to wait. I don’t want to know. I don’t know if I want to know. It’s driving me nuts!”

Of course, McBride isn’t the very cast member to speak out about the upcoming season of The Walking Dead. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan) told fans at a recent convention they were “gonna’ be really, really wishing that the cliffhanger had never ended after the first episode back, so be careful what you wish for.” The show’s executive producer also addressed Season 7’s premiere and said everything will “get a lot worse before it gets better.”

“You know, after directing the premiere episode, I was f–ked up for two weeks, you know? I really felt like I dragged a lot of my dearest friends into these really deep, dark places shooting that episode, and it’s been definitely an experience unlike anything that I’ve ever handled before,” he said.

So, for now, fans will just have to wait until The Walking Dead returns on October 13th to decide for themselves whether the cast’s thoughts ring true.